By Elizabeth Farnsworth
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer
COBB - A former U.S. Surgeon General will turn the spotlight on racial disparities throughout America's health care system when he speaks tonight at Kennesaw State University.
Dr. David Satcher will speak this evening as part of the Siegel Institute's "Why Leadership and Ethics Matter" speaker series. Satcher, the 16th U.S. surgeon general and the first black male to hold the office, is passionate about ending racial inequalities. Jocelyn Elder was the first black female to hold the post.
"It's near to my heart because I've lived it, starting with being very ill at the age of 2 and almost dying," Satcher said. "Hospitals were segregated and many hospitals didn't have anywhere for blacks. That's how I made the decision to go into medicine. Throughout my career, I've always focused on the underserved and underrepresented in medicine. It was what motivated me to go into medicine in the first place and has driven my career."
But racial disparities in health care aren't all Satcher will focus on. He'll also speak about racial disparities in health care outcomes, which he said are the result of a complex set of circumstances. Today's epidemic of obesity disproportionately affects minorities, such as blacks and American Indians, he said.
"In some communities, there's no safe place to be physically active," he said. "This is a community responsibility."
"He really champions the cause of doing away with racial disparities," said KSU Ethics Professor Dr. Lois Robley. Dr. Robley has taught for more than 18 years in KSU's school of nursing and serves on WellStar's ethics committee. She first suggested inviting Satcher. She said she is excited to have someone of his stature visit KSU. Satcher will not be reimbursed for his speech this evening.
"He is concerned about the community and concerned about doing the right thing," Dr. Robley said. "He champions causes, rather than expecting something for himself."
The black community is sometimes wary of health care practitioners, Dr. Robley said. Learning how to engender the black community's trust is important, she said, and Satcher is well qualified to speak to such.
"He is a product of the era of racial unrest and the racial movement toward equality," she said.
Karen Pressley, spokeswoman for the Siegel Institute for Leadership, Ethics and Character, said the institute's mission is to connect leaders with the community. Satcher's leadership in the medical field gives him the perfect platform from which to share, Ms. Pressley said.
"He works to find solutions," she said.
Satcher served as surgeon general from 1998 to 2002. He was first appointed by President Bill Clinton and remained in office throughout the first two years of President George W. Bush's administration.
From 1998 to 2001, he served as the assistant U.S. secretary for health. He was the first person to hold both positions at the same time and was the first surgeon general commissioned as a four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, to reflect his dual offices. He has also served as director of the Center for Disease Control.
Currently, Satcher is the director of the National Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. The Satcher Health Leadership Institute, which he leads, is still in its developing stages.
"The way resources are used is greatly dependent on leadership," he said. "To communicate these messages to individuals and communities is a leadership challenge."
The public can buy general admission tickets for $15; tickets for KSU faculty and staff are $10. For more information, visit www.siegelinstitute.org. Satcher will speak at 7 p.m. at the KSU Center on Busbee Drive.
efarnsworth@mdjonline.com
Comment on this Story
Posted Comments